Stakeholders from all 17 districts of Nagaland attended an adoption awareness programme held at the Auditorium Hall, State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), Kohima on April 8. (Photo Courtesy: SARA Nagaland)
SARA Nagaland hosts awareness programme for inclusive adoption
Kohima, April 8 (MExN): Stakeholders from all 17 districts of Nagaland gathered in Kohima for an adoption awareness programme focused on promoting family-based care for children with special needs.
The programme, titled “Promoting Non-Institutionalized Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs (Divyaang Children),” was held at the Auditorium Hall, State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), Kohima on April 8. It was organised by the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) under Mission Vatsalya, Department of Social Welfare, and sponsored by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The programme brought together officials and participants to promote awareness on inclusive adoption and the importance of family-based care for children with special needs, stated a press release from the SARA, Nagaland. Participants included representatives from the District Administration, Chief Medical Officers (CMO), District Child Protection Units (DCPU), Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAA), Department of Social Welfare, SARA, State Child Protection Society (SCPS) and Child Welfare Committees (CWC).
Divyaang children should be recognised for their abilities and potential rather than their limitations, describing a recent programme as a step towards building a more inclusive and compassionate society, remarked T Aoakhum Longchar, Additional Director, Department of Social Welfare.
He highlighted adoption as an act of love, compassion and hope that not only gives a child a family but also transforms lives.
He called on society to replace judgment with understanding, promote responsible adoption and ensure that every child grows up with dignity, care and equal opportunities.
Yongchingkumla, Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, in her keynote address, said the greatest challenges faced by Divyaang children often stem from social attitudes and lack of awareness rather than their disabilities.
She stressed that inclusive education and equal opportunities are moral responsibilities and not just policies.
Addressing the issue of adoption, she highlighted the need to break misconceptions, saying, “family is built on love and not biology.”
She called for greater awareness, empathy and collective responsibility to create a society where every child is valued, empowered and given a place to belong.
During the technical session, Ritu Rani Bhankur, Junior Professional, CARA highlighted the Adoption Regulations, 2022 with special emphasis on provisions for children with special needs.
She highlighted the legal framework, procedural safeguards and best practices for ensuring transparent and ethical adoption. Bhankur addressed common grievances of prospective adoptive parents (PAPs), including delays, documentation challenges and access to accurate information, offering clarifications and solutions to streamline the adoption process.
She highlighted the roles of key stakeholders, explaining that district administration and DCPOs coordinate and monitor adoption, CMOs handle health assessments, DCPUs support child identification and parent counselling, SAAs manage adoption services and follow-up while SARA, SCPS and CWCs provide policy guidance, technical support and legal oversight to ensure every child’s rights and well-being are protected.
During the open session, Nikito Zhimomi, DCPO Chümoukedima and NT Kikon, Managing Director, Wondang-Ki Charitable Foundation (SAA), presented an overview of the district-level scenario concerning children with special needs. They highlighted ongoing initiatives, shared best practices in promoting non-institutionalized rehabilitation and discussed key challenges.
They also outlined plans focusing on strengthening community-based care, enhancing coordination among stakeholders and encouraging adoption to ensure that children with special needs grow up in nurturing family environments.
A screening of the short film ‘Not Perfect but Precious’, aimed at promoting the adoption of children with special needs was also held. The programme concluded with vote of thanks by Renchumi Imti, Programme Manager, SARA.
